Installing Qlik Sense in a multi-node site

A Qlik Sense multi-node deployment offers more configuration options than single node deployments. In a multi-node site, you can distribute Qlik Sense services across one or more server nodes to optimize scalability and performance.

Preparing a large, enterprise multi-node deployment requires careful planning, so first ensure that you have considered all the architecture and configuration options available.

Repository database - if you already have a Qlik Sense repository database on another server from a previous installation, you can continue to use this in your new deployment. If you do not intend to use this database then remove it before you start.

Installing Qlik Sense

You can install a Qlik Sense server as either a central node or as a rim node. In a multi-server site, rim nodes must be connected to a central node. See: Architecture. If you are installing a central node, you may also wish to configure a failover candidate. You only have the option to create a failover candidate when you are creating a node. For more information on how to configure a failover candidate, see Creating a node and Service cluster.

To install a node:

Create a file share before you run the Qlik Sense setup. The file share is a shared folder that stores all the Qlik application data and must be accessible to all nodes in your Qlik Sense site. You can create a file share either on the same server computer as the central node or on another server.See: Creating a file share

Log in to the computer where you plan to install Qlik Sense as a domain or local Windows administrator. You must have full administrator rights to run the Qlik Sense setup. You can start the Qlik Sense services as either an administrator or a local user without administrator privileges.

Run the installation program as an administrator, and on the first screen click Install.

Read the License agreement screen. If you agree, select the check box and click Next.

On the Create or join a cluster screen, you have two options:

Create cluster - To install a central node. All the other nodes in your site will connect to this node.

Join cluster - To install a rim node that connects to a central node (if you choose this option, fewer screens are displayed in the setup).

On the Host Name screen, enter the address for the Qlik Sense node that you are installing, and click Next. The address must be in a format that other nodes can use when connecting to this node, otherwise the connection will fail.

For example:

IP address: 10.1.123.234

Machine name: WIN-QS1BOL9FM99D

Fully qualified machine name: WIN-QS1BOL9FM99D.CUSTOMER.COM

Warning: Ensure that the recommended server node name displayed in the Enter the address for this machine field matches the one you will use to access this node, otherwise enter an appropriate address or fully qualified domain name. Only use the fully qualified name if you understand the full implications.

On the Shared persistence database connections settings screen, select the Install local database check box if you want to install a local repository database, or leave the check box unchecked if you want to connect to an existing repository database hosted on another server.

If you want to install a local repository database, then enter the following values:

Field name

Value

Database host name

localhost

Database port

4432

Database user

qliksenserepository

Warning: Do not enter the username postgres.

Database user password

Create a password to access the local repository database.

If you want to connect to an existing repository database on another server, then enter the following values:

Field name

Value

Database host name

Enter the full URL to your repository database.

Database port

4432

Database user

qliksenserepository

This is the login role you created in the PostgreSQL database (QSR)

Database user password

Enter the password you created in PostgreSQL.

Make a note of these values as you will need them again when you install a rim node.

Note: All Qlik Sense servers must be in the same geographic location or data center as the repository database and the file share.

On the Database configuration screen, under Advanced settings, configure the listen addresses, IP ranges, and max connections from other nodes, and click Next. This is an optional step if you install a local repository database. You can also configure the database service listener directly in your PostgreSQL repository database. See: Installing and configuring PostgreSQLEnter the following values:

Field name

Value

Description

Listen addresses

*

The IP address(es) to listen on.

Use the value * to allow access for all IP addresses. If entering multiple listen addresses use a comma separated list.

IP ranges

0.0.0.0/0,::/0

To allow all servers to access the repository database, use the value 0.0.0.0/0 (for all IPv4 addresses) and ::/0 (for all IPv6 addresses).

If entering multiple IP addresses use a comma separated list.

Max connections

100

Specify the maximum number of concurrent connections to the database. The default value for a single server is 100. Multiply this value by the number of nodes in the cluster.

Note: This screen does not appear if you are using a remote PostgreSQL database or if your are installing a rim node (Join cluster option).

On the Shared persistence storage screen, enter the path or URL to your file share, for example \\<domain>\QlikShare and click Next. Your file share can either be a local folder or a remote folder on another server.

Note: This screen does not appear if you are installing a rim node (Join cluster option).

On the Centralized Logging screen, leave the Configure centralized logging check box selected if you want to set up centralized logging, or clear the check box if you want logs to be written to files.
If you decide not to set up centralized logging at this time, you can set it up later by using the logging service utility; see Qlik Logging Service.

If you are installing Qlik Sense on a central node and you want to write logs to the database that is installed with Qlik Sense, click New logging database. Enter the following values and click Next.

Field name

Value

Log writer password

Create a password for the qlogs_writer user to access the centralized PostgreSQL database.

Log reader password

Create a password for the qlogs_reader user to access the centralized PostgreSQL database.

Warning: Do not use mixed character sets when creating a password.

If you want to write logs to an existing database on another node, click Standalone logging database. Enter the following values and click Next.

Field name

Value

Hostname

Enter the hostname or IP address of the standalone logging database.

Port

Enter the port number that you specified for the standalone logging database.

Log writer password

Enter the password for the qlogs_writer user.

Log reader password

Enter the password for the qlogs_reader user.

If you use a logging database on another node, ensure that this is a new and empty logging database before proceeding with the installation. If a QLogs db is already present on the remote database the schemas may be incompatible. See: Installing and configuring PostgreSQL

On the Installation location screen, choose a location to install Qlik Sense or use the default location on the C:\ drive, and click Next.

On the Repository Database Superuser Password screen, create a superuser password for the PostgreSQL database, and click Next.

Note: This screen does not appear if you are using a remote PostgreSQL database or if your are installing a rim node (Join cluster option).

On the Service Credentials page, enter the domain, user name and password for the account that you want use to run the Qlik Sense services, and click Next.

Note: If you enter a username that is more than 20 characters long, it must be in UPN format, and must include the full domain name. For example, longusername@full.domain.name.

On the Ready to install screen, optionally select to create desktop shortcuts and automatic start of the Qlik Sense services when the setup is complete.

Note: If you want to use a dedicated service account to run the Qlik Sense services, clear the Start the Qlik Sense services when the setup is complete selection.

In the Extension bundles section, optionally select to install the extension bundles. Then, select which extension bundles you want to install from the list of those available for your Qlik Sense installation.

If you have chosen not to install the extension bundles, click Install. Otherwise, click Next.

If you are installing any of the extension bundles, accept the extension bundle license agreement. Then, click Install.

You will see a message indicating that Qlik Sense has been installed successfully.

Click Finish.

If you selected local system as the user account type in the Service Credentials screen, but wish to use a dedicated service account to run the Qlik Sense services, change the user account type and manually start the Qlik Sense services now. See User accounts

Configuring PostgreSQL multi-node connections

In the postgresql.conf configuration file, you need to edit the max_connections setting, depending on how many nodes you require in your site. If you do not configure this setting correctly, and reach the connection pool limit, then PostgreSQL will reject any further connections.

To configure the max_connections setting:

Stop the Qlik Sense services.

Navigate to the postgresql.conf file in C:\ProgramData\Qlik\Sense\Repository\PostgreSQL\<version> of your Qlik Sense installation.

To edit this setting, open the file in a text editor as an administrator.

Make the following configuration changes:

Setting

Value

Description

max_connections

600

To calculate this value multiply x 100 the number of servers in your deployment.

For example, 600 = 6 nodes.

Save your changes.

Start the Qlik Sense services.

You are ready to license your Qlik Sense installation.

Licensing Qlik Sense

Before you can start using Qlik Sense you must activate your site license.

To activate your license:

Open the QMC.

When you open the QMC for the first time the Site license properties page is displayed.

The property group Site license contains properties related to the license for the Qlik Sense system. All fields are mandatory and must not be empty.

Note: If you want to set up Qlik Cloud Services or Qlik Sense Enterprise on Kubernetes, please contact your Qlik representative or Qlik Support to obtain a valid license for the setup.

Property name

Description

Owner name

The user name of the Qlik Sense product owner.

Owner organization

The name of the organization that the Qlik Sense product owner is a member of.

Serial number

The serial number assigned to the Qlik Sense software.

Control number

The control number assigned to the Qlik Sense software.

Expand LEF access and click Get LEF and preview the license. If you received your LEF via email, you can copy and paste the information into the text field.

Note: Failed to get LEF from server is displayed if the serial number or control number is incorrect.

Click Apply.

Successfully licensed is displayed.

Click Close.

You have activated your Qlik Sense site license.

You are ready to connect to a user directory (optional), allocate user access or professional access, and set up permissions.

Allocating access to users

Your license is either based on access types, with professional access allocation as an option, or on tokens, with user access allocation as an option.

Access types license

Your Qlik Sense license includes a number of professional access allocations that are used to grant users in your organization access to Qlik Sense.

Do the following:

In the QMC, from the Start menu, click License management.

The License usage summary screen is displayed.

Click the Professional access allocations tab.

Click the + Allocate button.

The Users screen is displayed.

Select the users that you want to provide access to from the list and click Allocate.

Note: Allocate is disabled if the number of allocations available is insufficient for the number of selected users.

The users that you allocated access to appear in the Professional access allocations overview table.

Note: In a multi-node site, all nodes share the same license, so you only need to activate your license once on the central node.

If you have created a rim node, you are now ready to register the rim node with the central node.

Token-based license

Your Qlik Sense license includes a number of tokens that are used to allocate Qlik Sense access to users in your organization.

Do the following:

In the QMC, from the Start menu, click License management.

The License usage summary screen is displayed.

Click the User access allocations tab.

Click the + Allocate button.

The Users screen is displayed.

Select the users that you want to provide access to from the list and click Allocate.

Note: Allocate is disabled if the number of tokens available for allocation is insufficient for the number of selected users.

The users that you allocated access to appear in the User access allocations overview table.

Note: In a multi-node site, all nodes share the same license, so you only need to activate your license once on the central node.

If you have created a rim node, you are now ready to register the rim node with the central node.

Adding a Qlik Sense node

After installing a central node and a rim node, configure the central node to connect to the rim node. Before you can verify that a rim node is running correctly you must connect it to the central node. Use the QMC on the central node to register a rim node.

To configure a central node to connect to a rim node:

On the central node, open the QMC, and click Nodes.

Click Create new.

In the Edit node window, enter the following configuration details about the node you want to connect to:

Field name

Description

Example value

Name

Provide a suitable name for the node.

For example, Consumer node 1

Host name

Enter the full URL of the node you want to connect to.

For example, <domain>-<server-name>.qliktech.com

Node purpose

Choose a suitable purpose for the node:

Production

Development

Both

For example, choose Production for a scheduler node or Development for a developer node used for creating apps. For more information on types of nodes, see: Creating a node

Check that your license supports the node purpose that you have chosen.

Node configuration

Select this node as a failover candidate.

For example, if you select this node as a failover candidate it means that this node can perform the same role as the central node if the central node fails. See: Failover

Service activation

Select the services you want to run on this server node:

Repository

Engine

Printing

Proxy

Scheduler

For example, if you are installing a consumer node, select the Repository and Engine services.

For more information on which services to run on different types of nodes, see: Architecture and Services

Click Apply. The central node generates a certificate that you use to register the rim node. If the central node cannot connect to the rim node you will see a Node registration error message. If you get this error, first check that you have opened port 4444 on the central and rim nodes to allow certificates to be sent.

The Install certificates pop-up window then opens providing you with a URL and a password to authorize the certificate on the rim node.

On the rim node, paste the URL into a new browser window.

On the Install certificates page (in your browser), enter the password and click Submit. If successful, you see the Successfully licensed message.

Follow the same authorization procedure for each node that you want to add to your deployment.

To verify that all rim nodes are configured correctly, open the QMC, click Nodes and you can see the status of all the nodes in your deployment.

Verify your installation

To verify that Qlik Sense has installed correctly:

Open the Qlik Management Console (QMC).

Open the Qlik Sense Hub.

If the QMC and Hub open without any security warnings displayed in the browser, then you have installed Qlik Sense correctly.

Additional configuration

After you have installed and verified that Qlik Sense is running correctly, you may find the following configuration information useful:

Load balancing - create load balancing rules in the QMC to improve resilience and performance in a multi-node site.